Kei Car in La Crosse?!

"WiscoProud" (wiscoproud) 02/29/2016 at 12:07 • Filed to: None

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So the family and I were visiting friends in La Crosse, WI and I noticed this peculiar van parked on campus.

This van is seriously tiny. You can see the parking meter is damn near to its roof line. I didn’t get a chance to get a closer look unfortunately. Those tires have to be 14" tall too. What is is? Does anyone here go to UW-L and know anything about it? It was in really good condition, and didn’t look 25 years old, but who knows.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 12:19

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It looks most like a Mazda Scrum Wagon to me. Same lined-up door handles, same straight-across front door window, heavy front bumper lip, wrap-around headlight face, and hockey-stick rear glass. I thought initially it might be a Sambar of some kind, but it’s not a match.

WiscoProud > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/29/2016 at 12:21

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That does look very similar to it. I wish I had been able to get a look at the front, but I'm the only car guy in our group, and no one else cared.

facw > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 12:21

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My campus police department used kei vans (as well as CRVs) when I was there. Can find a good picture of the vans though, this closeup of the door is the best I can do:

I’m not sure they ever went out on public roads though, they may have just stayed on campus the whole time.

WiscoProud > facw 02/29/2016 at 12:23

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There's wasn't any obvious badging, but it was parked in a school lot over the weekend.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 12:23

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It’s a really uncommon freakazoid. License-built derivative of a Suzuki Carry, mostly a Japanese market item. That body style is 1999 on, so it may be a Canadian import recently taking advantage of the 15 year limit.

SaigaShooter - He's got an Impreza > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 12:26

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The UW system has lots of those, I’ve seen them on campus in Eau Claire and Stevens Point as well. Stevens Point also has what looks like a miniaturized Humvee. not sure who makes them.

WiscoProud > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/29/2016 at 12:26

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It was in La Crosse, WI, so our 25 year import law would apply. Its possible it was driven down from Canada, but it wouldn't appear to be the most reassuring vehicle on a 70mph freeway.

WiscoProud > SaigaShooter - He's got an Impreza 02/29/2016 at 12:28

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Very interesting. At Platteville they just had POS trucks. Don't remember what campus police drove though. Full disclosure, this was 10 years ago also.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 12:28

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It’s entirely possible someone is being naughty or licensed it under the byzantine micro-truck/offroad vehicle regs. Can’t say I blame them too much in either case.

WiscoProud > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/29/2016 at 12:34

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It would be interesting if they did. It was a cool little van.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 12:48

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I think most Keis can be imported as long as they are limited to like 4omph. It’s one of the few exceptions to the 25 year rule.

WiscoProud > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/29/2016 at 13:03

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Interesting, I didn't know that.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 13:50

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Yeah a few guys in my town have bought 4x4 kei trunks instead of sidexsides.

WiscoProud > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/29/2016 at 14:18

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I think that would be a lot of fun. any pictures?

facw > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 14:22

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Better picture of the Hopkins one (though they had more than one):

WiscoProud > facw 02/29/2016 at 14:31

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I think those would be a lot of fun on the trails.

PorkchoPlissken > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 14:38

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https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5418612852…

This is in Houston, someone really needs to check it out.

AkursedX > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/29/2016 at 14:39

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Yeah. You find a lot of them on farms in the midwest. I can’t find the website right now, but I remember seeing a site that had tons of them for sale.

WiscoProud > PorkchoPlissken 02/29/2016 at 14:53

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That would be a perfect commuter car. Although I have to imagine finding parts would be ridiculous

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > WiscoProud 02/29/2016 at 23:49

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Not any good ones.